SC Municipal Government In Action

Why should you care? You shouldn’t … unless of course you’re looking to be regaled with yet another example of the Palmetto State’s local inbrededness.

For those of you unfamiliar with Atlantic Beach, it’s a case study in municipal dysfunction – an example of what happens when idiots elect idiots (which happens way too often in this state).

Oh, and before anyone assigns a racial overtone to that assessment (Atlantic Beach is “the black beach”), please bear in mind that we’re far less charitable when it comes to discussing the Hazzard-esque machinations of South Carolina’s backwoods “hick governments.” Or our cracker-majority state government in Columbia.

Retha Pierce

Anyway, Monday’s Atlantic Beach town council meeting was noteworthy because less than 24 hours prior to it convening, Pierce was arrested for driving under the influence (an arrest which took place less than two months after she was cited for driving in the wrong lane).

Pierce was also arrested on suspicion of DUI in 2009 – but was never convicted.

According to reporter Lindsey Theis of WPDE TV 15 (ABC – Florence-Myrtle Beach), Pierce said that “the allegation of arrest that people do toward me, really all that is politics.”

Hmmm-kay. Sentence structure aside, Pierce wasn’t “alleged” to have been arrested, she was actually arrested (there’s a dash cam video and everything).

Even more amusing? Several town council members told Theis that they’re “not worried about Pierce’s charge and her serving as mayor, instead they’re more worried she is going to get behind the wheel and hurt or kill someone.”

In other words she can govern hammered, she just shouldn’t drive that way.